Hobby Thread - August 15, 2026 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. For this week, the Wheel of Hobbies (TM) is feeling lucky and decided on a fire truck theme for this Hobby Thread.

A what? A fire truck theme?

[Top photo: 1922 Howe fire truck on a Ford Model T chassis at the former Kokomo, IN Automotive Museum, photo credit David D Jackson]

Fire trucks are fun. How many kids looked up to firefighters and visited the local firehouse? How many kids had firetrucks as toys?

How many firetrucks have made their way down parade routes with lights and horns?

Firetrucks and fire fighting apparatus and memorabilia are popular with many people, including many that were never firefighters.

Firetrucks can qualify as a hobby. Anything firefighting qualifies. Any among the horde own a firetruck or have a friend that does? Anyone have an antique fire truck? Has any among the horde served as a firefighter? Does anyone collect firefighting equipment or memorabilia? Anyone visited a museum with a firefighting theme?

If you're an amateur pyromaniac or arson is your hobby, better to keep that to yourself.

What are you hobbying?

Fire trucks may not be everyone's favorite but give the content a chance before you judge. Any adjacent hobbying is in scope (such as small scale collecting or model building), so jump in with your interests, stories and questions.

In any event, the thread is not limited to to the theme. Anything (legal) you are hobbying is welcome. Even if the theme does not speak to you, you might learn something or be entertained. If not, offer something else relating to hobbying. If all of that fails, just check in and say hello.

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. Leave politics and religion to threads elsewhere (unless your hobby is building or restoring churches). Pants? Nope. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.

Play nice and do not be rude. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

Are you wise in the ways of SPAAMFAA? The Society for the Preservation & Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America

SPAAMFAA was established in Syracuse New York in 1958. Over 1800 members are part of fifty local chapters, primarily in the US and Canada. You don't need to own a fire truck or other antique fire apparatus, but it doesn't hurt. Some members focus on photography or collecting books, patches, toys and models and other fire fighting memorabilia.

Are you aware of other similar groups?

Want to buy a firetruck of your own? Fire departments periodically sell their old trucks. This guy bought an operating fire truck in Kansas for $3,000 from a facebook post. What a deal! (Really - three grand seems like a steal, even with pricey replacement parts.)

How to make a fire truck

People in Poland party with their fire trucks!

This looks like fun

Wow. Restoring or keeping old fire engines running is a labor of love.

I love this. Restoring an old metal toy firetruck:

Mythbusters tackle firehose power:

Apparently some people collect fire extinguishers. Sure, why not?

Horde Hobbying - Moron Beckoning Chasm has been busy with animation:

Maybe BC will add context or background on his project in the comments. I think he'll appear if you say his name three times.

I do not have the patience, skill or talent to do this:

"Why would I watch a 30 plus minute video on cymbal making? Because it is incredibly cool."

Related:

Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a random car theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

Notable comments from last week:

Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

Reminder: if you put links in the comments, use a URL shortener and describe what you're linking to. Failing to do either or both makes you barrel-eligible. Don't make people click to find out what you're linking.

Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Or just email to say hello. Do mighty things.

posted by Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

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